“Completely miffed.”

That is 1st District City Councilman Andreas Addison’s reaction to City Hall’s efforts to reduce speed and the likelihood of more fatal accidents in the wake of highly publicized traffic deaths of two Virginia Commonwealth University students since January.

In a statement to the Free Press, Mr. Addison graded the Department of Public Works’ recent addition of a few speed bumps on Main and Cary streets as “unacceptable.”

In his view, radical solutions are needed to slow traffic and reduce the risks to pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists, including restoring two-way traffic on both streets rather than keeping one-way.

“(Our city) is not equipped or staffed to create safer streets,” he stated, adding that the muted response from city officials, “confirms every reason why the council approved my request for a Department of Transportation last year.”

He noted that the administration largely ignored a council vote, along with his proposal to have the city hire Bloomberg Associates, a consulting firm that he stated had helped Oakland, Detroit and Atlanta create their local departments of transportation.

“That idea went nowhere,” he stated.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration did not respond to a Free Press request for comment on the statement from Mr. Addison, chair of council’s Land Use, Housing and Transportation Committee and a self- described vocal leader on issues related to the city initiatives to reduce traffic fatalities and to promote walking and cycling.

The city has pledged to install more traffic calming

measures in the area of the campus as well in other areas of the city as a key component of its action plan that aims to reduce traffic deaths and injuries on city streets by 2030.

Traffic safety in and around the VCU academic campus has gained increased attention following two deaths, particularly that of well-known graduate student Shawn Soares, 26, a staff member with the Virginia Conservation Network.

He was heading toward the campus on May 4 when a turning car was struck by oncoming traffic and shoved into the sidewalk at Main and Madison streets where Mr. Soares was walking.

That followed the Jan. 27 death of Mahrokh Khan, 23, who was fatally injured after being struck by a car while crossing Laurel and Main streets on the VCU campus.

VCU President Michael Rao, like Mr. Addison believes “a major change is needed” to streets and sidewalks to reduce the risk to students from traffic coming through the campus.

He said VCU has hired a consultant to recommend improvements.

Despite the criticism, the Public Works Traffic Engineer- ing Division has stated that it is seeking to “provide as many options as possible to ensure the safe passage of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicular drivers throughout Richmond.”